Conventional a.c. plasma display drive systems are based on a matrix concept involving a pair of arrays of parallel conductors, such arrays being disposed on glass plates and positioned substantially orthogonal to one another and separated by a confined gaseous medium. Selection of one drive line from each array uniquely specifies a display cell, and a plurality of cells forms a character within a character matrix. Because of the matrix characteristic of conventional plasma displays, the conductor arrays must be uniquely selectable and a driver is normally required for each conductor in each array. Such drive systems have maximum efficiency in large character displays comprising many rows of multi-character capacity and minimum efficiency in a low character display such as a single row display, since the same number of vertical drivers are required for a single row as are required for 12 or 40 rows of characters. In addition to the vertical driver problem, a second problem associated with driving small plasma display devices relates to the load requirements for the individual drivers in the horizontal axis. Thus, for example, using a single line display of 24 characters having a 5.times.7 dot matrix, 120 drivers are required for the vertical drive system and only 7 drivers for the horizontal drive system, each driver being required to drive up to 150 display cells, with a further requirement that all drive lines be terminated on one or alternate sides of the panel edge.
Display matrix addressing systems for reducing the required number of drivers have been proposed, one such system being described in the IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 12, No. 2, July, 1969, pages 349-350. However, such a system must be translated into practical conductor patterns for the two plates of the panel. Such artwork is relatively complex, and individual connections to various parts of the panel must be properly terminated with minimum crossovers.